


Fading Red

by TheRedPaladin101



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal-Like Behavior, Blood and Gore, Coma, Defending Another, Doubt, Explosions, Galra!Keith, Implied Mind Control, M/M, Nightmares, Prison, Suicide, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedPaladin101/pseuds/TheRedPaladin101
Summary: “Escape while you can, Blue Paladin. Cause once he wakes up, his Galra side will take over.. And he will kill you.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Keith, you alright over there?” Lance whispered into the coms, switching his bayard into his blaster. The coms fizzed a bit before Keith responded. 

“Yeah, I’m alright,” he whispered back. “Allura, I think I see the prisoners.”

“Good,” Allura spoke. “Keith, be careful down there. The amount of guards is more than average.”

“I’ll back him up,” Lance grinned, peering around the corner before darting down the hall for the stairs. Keith huffed but didn't respond. Lance checked the map on his screen for soldiers before he ran down the stairs for the multiple rooms full of cells. Keith was in the far right corner of the last room to the left on the map where the prisoners who sent out a distress signal were. 

“Okay, I’m in..” Keith muttered, the small dot on the map moving past an opening. Lance hid behind a wall when some soldiers walked by, holding back the urge to shoot them dead. He let out the breath he was holding when they disappeared around the corner, continuing his path down to the room Keith was in. 

“Hold on,” Allura suddenly spoke, her voice on edge. Lance frowned but kept walking, putting his finger on the trigger. Allura was silent for a few seconds. “Oh god- Keith, get out of there!”

“Wha-” Keith’s voice was cut off. Lance widened his eyes when his screen went static and the wall a few meters in front of him glowed orange. The sound of an explosion caught his ears at the same time, the ground shaking under him. “Keith?!” 

“Lance, get out-” Shiro’s voice was cut off. Lance ignored the command and ran forward, heart pounding. Keith was in trouble, and there was no way in hell he was leaving him there. Panting hard from both running and nerves going overboard, he rounded the corner and lifted his blaster, ready to shoot. However, something slammed into his side and threw him into the wall. 

“Fuck!” he cursed, his shoulder cracking while the blaster hit the ground. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his shoulder and turned his teary eyes to the scene in front of him. 

Keith was in the middle of fighting hand-to-hand with the witch known as Haggar, and he wasn't doing so hot. His bayard was across the room out of reach and one of his wrists was in Haggar’s hold. She hissed and the room exploded in purple light, making Keith scream in pain and cover his eyes. Lance squinted his eyes, running forward and slamming his good shoulder into Haggar’s back. Haggar grunted and merely whirled around, slamming Keith’s body into his. 

The two flew to the ground, tangled in each other’s limbs. Keith cursed under his breath and looked up in time to see Haggar grabbing him and lifting him up by his neck. “Pathetic humans,” she hissed out, her clawed hand glowing. Lance kicked her leg, but it wasn’t enough to knock her down. She growled and lifted her own foot, slamming it down on his head. 

And everything went quiet.

 

It was still quiet when Lance came back to it. His head pounded and he felt dried up blood just above his left eye. He groaned, pressing the tips of his fingers to his forehead. He finally pried his eyes open, looking up to see a stone ceiling. It was dark and cold and he felt like his whole body would break more if he moved. His shoulder was numb and he couldn’t feel his left hand even though he was pressing it to his forehead.

Chains clinking against the ground caught his attention when he tried moving his right arm, tilting his head to the side to see a chain clamped around his wrist. He felt his throat tighten. “Shit.. I got caught..” he whispered, closing his eyes briefly before forcing himself to sit up. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, keeping his breathing even as he looked around. His eyes widened just a fraction when he saw Keith laying across from him, out cold from the looks of it. 

“Seems you’ve finally woken.” Lance jumped and whirled his head to the side, finding the damn witch standing in front of a large cell door. Her eyes were hidden by her hood, but her smirk was in plain sight. 

“What the fuck do you want?” Lance growled, knowing it was really a stupid question. He just didn’t want to seem weak in front of this monster. 

She cackled lightly, easily moving towards Keith’s body. “Voltron is the empire’s worst enemy. I must prevent it from coming together again somehow. I’ve tried,” she kneeled down by Keith, fingers twirling a lock of his hair, “and tried to create the best warrior, but nothing changes. Voltron is too strong.”

“Then give up?” Lance muttered, not liking how she was touching _his_ Keith. “Why-”

“But then,” she interrupted, “I had a wonderous idea. If I could just get the paladins here with a ‘distress signal’, then I can have the Red Paladin.”

Lance narrowed his eyes, heart pounding. “What do you want with him..?”

“Galra blood runs through him,” she tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck. “This means my potion will work on him greatly and easily.” Lance frowned, eyebrows furrowing. She smirked more, lifting her head till her eyes glowed in the shadows of her face. “He will never win this battle inside of him.”

“What the fuck are you on about?” Lance hissed through gritted teeth, ignoring how bad his hands were shaking. 

She stood up, turning back to the cell door. “Escape while you can, Blue Paladin.” Lance felt his breath hitch at the dark look on her face. She pointed at Keith, eyes glowing. “Cause once he wakes up, his Galra side will take over.. And he will _kill you_.”

Lance felt his whole body stop. His mind went blank, his heart stopped pounding, his lungs stopped moving. The cell door closed with a slam, barely making him flinch. His pupils shrunk as he processed what he was just told. He stared at Keith’s body, swallowing slowly. His breath hitched again when he saw a hint of purple creeping up the side of his neck, moving so agonizingly slow. Lance pressed his chained hand to his head, gasping when he saw blood coating his hand. He looked around his body and saw no wounds. He looked back at Keith and almost cried. 

The side of his suit was cut open to show a large gash oozing out blood into his suit. Lance felt tears gather in his eyes as he saw the skin showing there was purple. He hiccuped, spotting small puddles of blood around him; one to his right where his hand was and one near the cell door. 

“Kill.. me..?” he whispered, spotting no chains holding Keith down anywhere. He choked on a sob, moving his numb hand to pull at the chain on his wrist. Lance’s eyes blurred as he realized the chains were too strong for him to pull off without a weapon of some sort. He finally dropped his hands at his side, wincing when his hand hit the puddle of blood - Keith’s blood. Haggar’s words flew through his head over and over again.

“ _Escape while you can, Blue Paladin. Cause once he wakes up, his Galra side will take over.. And he will kill you._ ”

“Keith…” Lance felt warm tears trickle down his cheek. 

“ _Escape while you can, Blue Paladin. Cause once he wakes up, his Galra side will take over.. And he will kill you._ ”

“Please,” he lifted his bloody hand slowly, not knowing what else to do. 

“ _Escape while you can, Blue Paladin. Cause once he wakes up, his Galra side will take over.. And he will kill you._ ”

He choked on another cry as he whispered, his eyes blurry with tears as he stared at Keith’s body. “Fight.. and come back to me…” 

_But who was he kidding…?_


	2. Chapter 2

It was completely quiet in the cell. The silence was killing Lance. He wanted to speak, throw a ball, act like his usual self, but what good would that do? He knew Keith couldn't hear him, so what was the point? 

Looking towards the cell door for the tenth time in the last twenty minutes or so, Lance measured the distance and sighed, realizing yet again the chain won't let him get close enough to the door. Keeping his eyes away from Keith, he turned to the wall where the chain ended, testing the end to see if it'll break. He cursed quietly when he saw the chain wouldn't break without a blaster or some kind of sword. His bottom lip quivered, willing himself to look over his shoulder at Keith. 

He never moved from his position on his side; arms laying in front of him and head tilted up from when Haggar touched him. Lance knew now that she did that so that he could see the slow movement of the purple moving across his skin. Keith's face looked relaxed to him when he first woke up, but now he could see he was in pain. He never flinched nor whimpered like someone would in their sleep, though. Lance pressed his back to the wall, pulling his knees to his chest. 

"Okay.. calm down, Lance," he whispered to himself, eyes trained on the purple creeping up Keith's jaw; his whole neck no longer the smooth pale it used to be. "Keith would never hurt you.. he knows who you are.." Lance knew him and Keith were rivals and weren't always on good terms, but the two grew to become closer friends because of Voltron. Keith would throw himself in front of Lance multiple times and Lance would have his back. "H-He won't hurt you.." Lance swallowed shakily, squeezing his eyes shut when the purple covered his entire jaw. "E-Even if he does, your armor can protect you, Lance." As he said this, he realized that his helmet was nowhere near him. He hiccuped and covered his mouth, his good shoulder shaking. 

The cell fell quiet again. Lance sniffed and moved to lay on his right shoulder, keeping his eyes on Keith. The stone floor was freezing and seemed to bring a strong headache to Lance's head. He watched the purple creep towards Keith's mouth slowly, his eyes drooping. His thoughts soon slowed and went elsewhere, eyes closing finally. He didn't realize till now how exhausted he was. He willed his mind to stay on Keith, but he couldn't. Sleep sounded too good to him right now.. 

_Maybe just a quick nap..._

 

Lance didn't know what woke him up. It was still completely quiet, so no noise woke him up. Maybe it was his brain..? Lance pried his eyes open, blinking a few times to rid the sleep from his vision. He stared forward, feeling sleep claw at him again when he saw nothing in the cell that'd make him worry-

_Wait... Where's Keith?_

Lance widened his eyes by a fraction, lips parting to keep his breathing even. He scanned his line of vision, seeing nothing. Knowing it was a stupid idea, Lance pressed his hand to the ground and lifted himself up just a few inches to look where he couldn't see. He felt his heart stop completely when he spotted a flash of red in the corner by the cell door just a few feet away from his legs. 

The armor was now in plain sight for Lance. It was a bit scratched up and cracked in a few spots. Lance started to shake when he saw the mullet that was burned into his brain since day one in the Garrison. Large fluffy purple ears sat on either side of Keith's head, flicking at the tips. Lance still couldn't hear anything. He couldn't move. Why would he move? The damn witch told him Keith...

With no warning, Keith suddenly ran to the side and slammed his back into the wall. Lance jumped, the chains clinking loudly against the floor. Keith didn't seem to notice. He snarled and slammed his back into the wall over and over again, making the armor crack. Lance couldn't control his breathing. Keith's skin was completely purple and his eyes were pure yellow, glowing against his skin. Lance flinched when he saw the large shark-like teeth in Keith's mouth, wide open to let out snarls. Keith snapped his jaws around his wrist, tugging at the armor on it. 

Lance swallowed thickly, realizing Keith was trying to break off the armor on himself. He felt horror strike through him when he saw bits and pieces of the armor on his back break off one by one. He tried to back up, but his hand pressed into the puddle of blood and cause him to slip, his shoulder hitting the floor. This time, Keith heard the chains and stopped what he was doing, eyes trained on Lance. His ears flattened and he growled lowly, eyes narrowing to slits. Lance squeaked when Keith charged forward on all fours, snarling. Lance lifted his numb arm up in front of him on reflex, crying out when Keith's teeth snapped around the armor, feeling it dent painfully into his arm. 

"Keith!" Lance tried desperately to call out to him, leaning back to avoid Keith's clawed hands. The tips of his fingers ripped through the suit to show razor sharp claws. Lance felt tears pour out of his eyes as he used his other hand to grab Keith's neck, pushing him as far away from his face as he can. "Keith, please stop! It's me! Lance!" Keith snarled, his hands wrapping around Lance's arm. His claws dug into the very slight crack dividing the armor in his arm, beginning to pull it apart. Lance quickly lifted his legs and kicked Keith a few feet away, his hands grabbing Keith's wrists when he jumped back on top of him. 

His teeth snapped around the armor protecting Lance's neck, thrashing his head around till it began to crack. Lance tried to lift his legs to kick him off again, but Keith was in a position where he couldn't bend his knees far enough to do so. Lance's heart pounded, his breathing coming out in short breaths. He lost his grip on one of Keith's wrist, finding his wrist being held down instead. His eyes widened when Keith ripped a chunk off of his armor around his neck, throwing the piece out of his mouth before diving down to the other side. Lance forced his body to roll, meaning to slam Keith under him with his armor, but the chain tugged at his wrist and stopped him. Keith did, however, let go of Lance and roll away from him, growling lowly. Lance wasn't prepared for Keith's body to slam into his, the air leaving his lungs temporarily. 

Keith ripped off the rest of the neck armor, leaving sharp points digging into Lance's skin. Keith snapped his jaws around the crook of Lance's neck, drawing blood. Lance cried out in pain, squeezing his eyes shut as more tears escaped his eyes. Keith ripped the suit off of his neck, teeth coated in his blood. Lance peered up at him shakily, noticing the hint of a smirk on his lips. He let his head drop along with his hands, eyes slipping shut in defeat. "I'm sorry.." he whispered, wishing he could say goodbye to everyone one last time. 

Nothing happened. When he peeked open his eyes, he saw Keith's head paused over his neck, mouth open to show he would bite the area his pulse was at. Keith lifted his head, ears twitching. He growled at Lance and crawled off of him, licking the blood off of his teeth and lips. Lance watched him stalk off on his feet and hands towards the far corner, not even looking back at him. 

Lance covered his mouth and turned onto his side, back to Keith. His body racked with sobs, eyes shut tightly as more tears escaped. Why didn't he kill him? _Why didn't he kill him?_


	3. Chapter 3

Lance's body was sore when he woke up again. He didn't bother to move, feeling his head hazy from sleep and pain from the earlier attack. He was afraid to look down and see something missing. His eyes felt sticky from the dried up tears and he couldn't see very well. He lifted his hand and rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times to clear his vision. He let out a breath, spotting the air escaping him appear and disappear right after. It was freezing in the cell now.. 

It was then that he heard the scratching. Lance blinked and turned his head to the side, rolling onto his back. Keith was growling lowly, standing on his feet with his hands on the wall. His claws dug into the stone and ran down the wall, leaving behind deep claw marks. His armor was no longer on him; abandoned in pieces around the room. He was left in his black suit with onto a few rips. Lance looked around briefly, spotting multiple claw marks slashing over one another. Some deep, some shallow. Chunks of the wall sat near the door, but not enough to make an escape. Keith's ears flicked in frustration, flattening back against his head. Soft snarls rumbled from his throat, moving back down onto all fours. 

Lance jumped when Keith's ears perked and his head whirled around, eyes trained on him. Lance started shaking, eyes widening as Keith's ears flattened again and his eyes narrowed down to slits. Lance couldn't bring himself to sit up or move. He whimpered as Keith crept closer to him, low growls hissing out from between his teeth. Lance flinched when he slammed a clawed hand down on his chest armor, feeling like the air of the room started decreasing. Keith dug his claws through the armor and began to pull. Lance squeaked, feeling his back leave the ground. Keith growled and used his other hand the press down on Lance's shoulder. Lance hissed, only feeling a slight sting from the pressure. His heart hammered hard in his chest, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Keith finally braced his arm and tugged hard, ripping a good chunk of the armor off of Lance's chest. 

"Wait, Keith!" Lance began, but cut himself off when Keith's eyes darted to his face. Keith growled and latched his teeth around the armor over his left shoulder, tugging and sinking his teeth farther and farther into the already broken piece. Lance could do nothing but watch as Keith tore off the armor on his left arm, wincing a few times. He hiccuped and tried to move his left arm away, but Keith held it down tightly. He forced his right arm to move, finding out how weak he really was at the moment. He ended up with his rm over his eyes, crying quietly as Keith tore apart his armor. 

Keith soon stopped and instead moved to Lance's suit. Lance gasped in pain when he felt his teeth scrap against his chest, the black suit ripping apart. He gritted his teeth, the cold air biting at his now bare skin. Keith growled and moved his attention to Lance's other arm, growling at the armor still there. Lance yelped when Keith's teeth dug into his arm, tugging at the armor. Lance tried to punch Keith away, but he pinned his left arm down easily, saliva dripping from his mouth. Before Lance could even get enough strength to stop him, his right arm armor was gone. 

"Keith, please!" he cried, feeling Keith's claws draw blood in his arms. Lance turned his head away, feeling Keith's nose graze his jaw. His breath was hot and smelled of blood. "Please!" Lance didn't know what he was asking for. He didn't know if he wanted Keith to leave him be and let him live, or to finish him off already. It was all too painful and he felt too weak. 

Keith pulled back a bit, ears perked up now. He blinked slowly before leaning down, nose grazing Lance's damp cheek. When Lance peeked open an eye, Keith jerked back and growled, letting go of him and stalking off towards his corner. He snarled threateningly at Lance when he watched him, ears flat and teeth bared. Lance looked away quickly, unable to believe he survived again.


	4. Chapter 4

Lance lost track of time once again. It was hard to get used to time in space, but it was worse in here. He couldn't see anything outside. There was no clock. He couldn't even hear anything outside the door. He does know for a fact that it has been at least a week since him and Keith were put in here. His entire body no longer stung with pain; too numb from the cold air around him. The blood that would seep out of his wounds now dried up and covered them. If he kept going on like this... he might die from blood loss soon.

The only reason Lance wasn't dying from hypothermia was because Keith recently began to huddle against him for the little amount of body heat Lance was giving. Keith's body was close to being unbearably hot to Lance. He didn't really mind since he was freezing. Unlike Lance, Keith was sleeping soundly at his side, ears flicking every once in awhile. Lance preferred Keith asleep since he wasn't hurting him during it. Keith seemed to enjoy seeing Lance in pain. Since his armor was gone and he was left in his suit, Keith would randomly nip at the suit to cause a little pinch to make Lance uncomfortably or flinch. Unlike his armor, he doesn't try to rip apart the suit as much as he can. 

"One thousand, one hundred, forty six... One thousand, one hundred, forty seven..." Lance counted quietly, counting the seconds since Keith fell asleep on his stomach. His voice was hoarse and quiet, and it cracked a few times in the middle of his counting. His mind couldn't really process it's only been about twenty minutes since he began counting. He wanted it to be over. He finally stopped to swallow down his spit and lift his head. He yelped when a hand grabbed his head and forced it down, his cheek against the stone floor. He whimpered when Keith lifted his head, growling lowly at him. Lance parted his lips and exhaled shakily. "Keith..." 

His ears lifted off of his head a bit, eyes blinking and head tilting in a curious gesture. Lance felt his heart jump when Keith pulled his hand back, settling back down on top of him with his legs curled up next to his hip. Lance ignored the knees digging into his hipbone and watched Keith lean closer to his right hand, poking at the chain like a cat. Lance almost grinned. He flexed his fingers, watching Keith's ears perk up and his hand shoot out and pin his hand down. Lance bit his lip and wiggled his hand out from under his, lifting it off the ground. Keith's attention quickly turned to the chain dangling from his wrist and he jerked forward, capturing the middle of it in his teeth. 

Lance felt his lips pull up into a smile, setting his hand on his chest as Keith knawed on the metal keeping Lance where he was. "Think you can break that for me..?" Lance asked softly as a joke, not expecting Keith to pause and look at him. Keith blinked and looked back at the chain before scooping it up back into his mouth. He began biting and pulling at the chain, growling whenever it didn't budge. Lance watched with a slightly wide eyed expression. Keith snapped his teeth around the chain over and over again. Lance could see small cracks but nothing major. 

Keith soon stopped, the chain still in between his teeth as he turned his head towards the door, ears perked high. Lance frowned and tilted his head back, hearing nothing. Keith dropped the chain and growled threateningly, shifting his position on Lance. Lance watched in confusion as Keith moved so his legs were on both sides of his hips, hands gripping his shoulders tightly. His ears went flat and he lowered his head till his chin grazed Lance's forehead. 

Then Lance heard it. He could hear faint gunshot sounds and he could feel the floor beneath them shaking. The chunks of the wall shook with each gunshot, faint yells of pain and commands coming closer and closer. Lance's heart jumped to life, tilting his head back further to see the door. Keith didn't really like that apparently and snapped his teeth right by his ear. Lance turned his head away quickly. 

It went quiet again but Keith didn't relax. He growled even more and tensed his muscles, teeth right by Lance's ear still. Lance tried to find a way to calm him down without getting hurt when the cell door flew open with a bang. "Lance?! Keith?!" Lance widened his eyes at the sound of Shiro's voice. Keith snarled and launched off of Lance, tackling down the Black paladin. Lance quickly forced his body to roll onto his stomach and tried to push himself up. Shiro screamed in pain and thrashed under Keith. Lance couldn't even see what he was doing from his position. Keith had tackled Shiro down so their upper bodies were in the hallway. 

"Keith! No, stop!" Keith didn't listen to Lance's pleas. He snarled and tore at Shiro's armor, teeth latched around the side of his neck. Lance grabbed a chunk of his own broken armor and chucked it at Keith, hitting him in the spine. Keith wasn't fazed. 

When Lance managed to get to his hands and knees, Keith yelped and fell back onto his side in the cell, out cold. Lance blinked and exhaled slowly, the room falling silent again. He saw a flash of yellow and then Hunk stepped through, holding his bayard tightly. "Lance! Are you okay?!" Lance felt relief wash over him. Hunk ran in and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him into a gentle but firm hug. He breathed out a sigh of relief and pressed a button on the side of his helmet. "Allura, we found them. Shiro is down and Keith.. Keith is down too. Pidge, I need you and Matt to head over to the dungeon. I need help down here."

"Roger that," Pidge spoke through. "We'll be there in a sec."

"It's going to be okay, Lance," Hunk told him, easily lifting him off of the ground. "Can you stand?" Lance shook his head, feeling like he'd throw up any second. He became dizy as soon as Hunk stood up, eyes dropping. He stared at Hunk before slumping forward, groaning and closing his eyes. He couldn't even hear Hunk's voice calling for him anymore. He barely opened his eyes and only saw Keith's unconscious body behind Hunk.

 

With his head pounding, Lance pried his eyes open. He felt sick.. Rolling onto his side, he leaned over the edge of the bed he was laying on and coughed, hot liquid hitting the floor with a loud splash. Nothing else came out of him except tears of pain. His stomach felt like it got punched over and over again. Lance opened his eyes again, seeing he was in a dimly lit room. He spit out the remaining hot liquid in his mouth, wincing at the orange color on the ground. 

"Lance?" A hand settled on his shoulder and pushed him back onto his back gently. Lance looked up, seeing Coran standing over him. "It's gonna be okay, Lance."

"Cor... an?" Lance spoke slowly, throat burning. Coran smiled and let go of him, looking over his shoulder. He beckoned for someone to come closer before looking back at Lance. Pidge, Hunk, and Allura appeared in his line of vision soon after, concerned looks on their faces. Lance looked at each of them, lips pulling up into a small smile. "Hey, g-guys.."

"Oh, Lance," Allura ran a hand through his hair, eyes glimmering. Pidge glanced at Hunk, her glasses crooked and hair messier than usual. 

"Hey," Lance closed his eyes for a moment, "where's Shiro and Keith? Are.. Are they okay?" Everyone looked at one another. Lance frowned, looking at Coran. "What?"

Pidge cleared her throat, fixing her glasses. "Lance, uh.. Shiro's in a coma." Lance turned his head sharply to look at her, eyes wide. She couldn't meet his eyes. "When Keith attacked him.. I don't know what happened, but-"

"H-He can't be.." Lance whispered, lifting his head. "Wh-What about Keith?" 

"Keith's okay," Coran answered. "Other than being stuck in his form.. he's okay." 

"Where is he?" Lance demanded, propping himself up on his elbows. Allura set a hand on his shoulder quickly to stop him from going any further. 

Coran rubbed the back of his neck. "I locked him in the training deck for the time being. He's too dangerous to let loose."

Lance felt his head become dizzy again and laid back down, closing his eyes to think. "Keith..."

"Um.. we should go," Pidge nudged Hunk, patting Lance's leg as the two walked by. Allura nodded and followed the two, whispering something to Coran as she went. Coran nodded and grabbed a roll of bandages. "I'll change your bandages then leave you be to rest for a bit. Okay?" Lance nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm not messing around, Allura," Lance shoved past the princess. "Get out of my way."

"Lance, you shouldn't move around too much!" Allura followed him. "Forget about Keith for a moment and listen to us!"

"The princess is right," Coran butted in, steeping in front of Lance. "Sure, you may be able to walk around now, but you need to rest. I don't think seeing Keith is the best thing to do in your state."

"State?" Lance glared at the two. "Fuck it! I want to see Keith! I need to make sure he's alright!"

"He's okay," Hunk moved in front of Coran, giving Lance a reassuring smile. "Coran has given him food, water. He's alright."

"I. Want. To. See. Him." Hunk sighed, closing his eyes for a second. Lance didn't waver. It's been almost a month since he saw Keith, and all he was told was that Keith was fine. If he was _fine_ , he would be next to him, probably crying and apologizing for what he did to him. He wouldn't be away from him. He wouldn't still be in that form if he was _fine_. 

"Alright," Pidge popped up behind Coran, "just take him to Keith. What harm will it do, really?"

"A lot?" Hunk gave her a look. "Keith has been like that for two weeks with Lance in a cell."

"So?" Pidge crossed her arms, looking at Lance. "I see no problem unless Lance tells us what happened in there." Lance frowned and pushed past the three, his bare feet hitting the ground a bit too hard. He remembered that Keith was still stuck in the training deck, so that's where he'll go. He ignored the others calling for him to come back, determined to get to Keith. 

"Lance." Lance stopped, looking to the side to see Pidge- no, that wasn't Pidge. The taller male cleared his throat and stepped closer so he was beside Lance. "Um, I'm Matt. I helped the others find you and Keith."

"Oh.." Lance's voice was quiet. He rubbed the back of his neck. "So, you're the brother Pidge has been searching for?"

"Yeah," Matt cracked a smile. "I was on that ship." He jerked his head forward, taking a few steps till Lance began to follow. "I was able to escape my cell and get to the main control room. I sent out a signal and they arrived hours later."

Lance folded his hands together. "Thank you, Matt..." 

He nodded, coming up to a door near the training deck. "I heard you guys back there. Keith is really okay, but I can't allow you to just walk in there." Lance frowned. Matt typed in a code and the door whooshed open. "Coran and Allura have only gone in here, but I've seen the code. Come on." Lance followed him, the door closing behind them. Matt lead the way up some stairs till they came to the control room above the training deck. Lance glanced at Matt before walking to the window. 

He widened his eyes at the sight. Below in the room was scattered weapons broken up into pieces, ripped up blankets and clothes, and scattered parts of spare robots. Keith sat near the door, no longer in his black suit. He now only wore his black pants - Lance spotted his shirt and shoes on the other side of the room - and he was still stuck as a Galra. His ears twitched and he growled at the door, signs of scratches all along the doors and walls around in. 

"Coran tried to keep him busy with the robots, but Keith won't top coming back to the door," Matt stood next to him, lips pulled into a frown. "It's like... he's looking for you."

"Me?" Lance frowned as well, tearing his eyes away from Keith. "What-"

"I know what happened, Lance," Matt lowered his voice a bit, as if he was afraid someone would overhear. "I watched that potion work on a regular Galra. If Keith didn't kill you, then.." 

"He remembers me, doesn't he?" Lance whispered, hands shaking. Matt shrugged, eyes on Keith but not focusing on him. 

"You were there when he woke up; when his midn was still working on forgetting his old life. He remembered you but followed his instincts and attacked. He did attack, right?" Lance nodded. "What happened when Shiro and Hunk showed up..? What did Keith do?"

Lance inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly, looking back down at the Galra. "He.. He wasn't hurting me. After three days, I think, he would just nip at my sides or arms. After he got my armor off, he wasn't as violent. I thought it was because I wasn't fighting back." He scratched the side of his neck, eyes losing focus. "It was so cold in that cell that it even got to him. He would huddle close to me for the little warmth I could get. On that day.. he was like a cat, you know?" Matt nodded, smiling a bit. Lance couldn't help and smile too. "My right wrist was chained to the wall, so when he woke up, he began poking at it like a cat would. He didn't hurt me at all.. even when I moved my hand. He actually went for the chain."

"Did you talk at all?" 

"Yeah.. he actually woke up when I stopped talking," Lance swallowed thickly, looking away from the window. "To humor myself, I asked him if he could break it for me. He gave me a look that showed he heard exactly what I said and began trying to break the damn thing..." 

"Did he?" Matt asked. 

"No.. he heard the others before I did," Lance fiddled with his thumbs. "He got on top of me and held me, growling at the door. When Shiro burst in.. he attacked..." Lance stopped and wiped his eyes, feeling them grow hot. "H-How is Shrio?"

"Still in a coma.." Matt sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Coran believes he should wake up in the next week.. we just need to believe he will." Lance nodded, looking back into the training deck. His heart stopped when he saw Keith's head turned and looking up at them, ears flat and eyes narrowed. He almost ran out of the room when he saw the hint of a smirk on Keith's lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Lance could not bring himself to go back to normal as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into a month. Keith still remained as he was in his form, destroying anything that came near him in the training deck. Shiro hasn't changed once and the whole castle seems to be in a slump. Lance could hardly blame them. He was forced by Coran to take medicine a week after he saw Keith so he could sleep at night. Hunk was the one who convinced him to start eating again. Allura was the only one who tried to act normal. She couldn't really train them, however, because no one could access the training deck. Matt was only ever seen in the room above the training deck whenever Lance came out of his room, but he did hover around the lions with genuine interest and spent most of his time with Pidge. 

Lance only ever came out of his room to eat and see if Shiro woke up yet. He could barely bring himself to walk near the door of the training deck. Every time he did, he would hear Keith slam his body into the doors, snarls muffled by his only exit. Only twice did Lance go to the room above the deck, and both times Keith knew he was there. Allura and Coran have been working on trying to find a way to get Keith back to his real self, but Pidge believes there isn't a way. 

It's been exactly a month and three days since Lance and Keith were rescued. Lance curled up under his blanket, staring at the wall with lidded eyes. He couldn't sleep again and he didn't want to hunt down Coran for medicine. He was busy enough with finding something for Keith. 

His heart clenched when he thought of Keith. Inhaling slowly, Lance held his breath for a moment before exhaling shakily. His eyes slid shut, hand curling into fists. "Come on, Lance.. he's your buddy.." he told himself quietly, rolling onto his back. "You should at least make sure he's okay.." 

After laying there for a minute, he kicked off his blanket and sat up, setting his bare feet on the ground. Feeling his nerves start to kick up, he grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders, heading out of his room silently for the training deck. The castle was quiet; lights dim in the hallways. Lance shivered, pulling his blanket closer. His feet barely made any noise as he walked for the deck, typing in the code with a shaking hand to the room above the deck. The walls lit up softly around him as he made his way up. His body stopped once he made it to the room, staring at the window to the dimly lit training room. He'd have to walk closer to see the floor where Keith would be. 

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Lance forced his body to move forward, stopping finally in front of the window. His eyes landed on the door, but Keith was nowhere near it. Frowning, Lance looked around the room for the teen. He finally saw him on the other side of the room on his side, probably asleep. His breath hitched when he noticed his skin was no longer purple. His pupils seemed to shrink when he saw the ears, claws, and tensed muscles were all gone. He was... back...

Spinning on his heels, he dropped his blanket and ran down the stairs for the training deck doors, his hair whooshing as the doors opening once he typed in the code. Keith didn't move from his spot on the opposite end. Lance broke into a sprint, heart pounding and breath coming out in short gasps. He slid to his knees and grabbed Keith's shoulder, rolling him onto his back. "Keith? Keith?!" Lance cupped his face, tears filling his eyes. "Keith, please wake up!" 

Keith groaned, eyebrows furrowing lightly. Lance choked on a small cry, pulling Keith to his chest. "Coran! Allura! Someone, help!" He cradled Keith's head, burying his nose into his hair. Keith didn't move or make a sound. Lance cried and lifted his head, eyes squeezed shut. "Someone, please!! Help!!" 

"Lance?!" Hunk's voice popped up in the distant, heavy footsteps coming closer and closer. "What's wrong?!"

"Is Lance okay?!" Coran's voice popped up soon after. Lance looked over his shoulder, seeing Hunk dart through the entrance in his night clothes. Hunk widened his eyes and ran closer, Coran soon following him. "Lance, what's wrong?!" 

Allura soon appeared at the doorway along with Pidge. Lance couldn't force any words out, watching Hunk skid to a halt beside him and kneel down. "Oh my.. Coran, Keith's okay!" Coran skidded to a halt on the other side of Lance, eyes widening as well. 

"Lance, we need to get him to a crypod now," Coran said, kneeling down. "We need to make sure he really is okay." Lance nodded, rocking Keith slightly. He pressed his lips to his temple before he let Coran take him from him. Hunk helped Lance stand up after Coran left the room with Allura and Pidge behind him. Lance wiped his eyes hurriedly, sniffing. "God..." 

"He's going to be okay, Lance," Hunk reassured, leading Lance out of the room. He nodded shakily, smiling just slightly. 

 

Lance never left the crypod holding Keith, but he didn't have to wait long. Keith was only in the pod for ten hours. When he came out, Lance caught him and called for Coran. Keith was completely confused as Coran checked him over while Pidge brought him his clothes. When Coran finally finished checking Keith over, Keith sprung up the question they all dreaded. "Where's Shiro...?" 

When everyone fell silent and gave each other looks, Keith turned to Lance with a questioning look. Lance sighed and took his hand in his, leading him out of the room. "Keith, Shiro's.. not doing so hot..." 

"What does that mean?" Keith asked with a slight edge, eyes narrowing. Lance squeezed his hand gently, typing in the code to the room Shiro was kept in. Keith's eyes went wide and his pupils shrunk, his body going stiff for a split second. He dropped Lance's hand and darted to Shiro's side, looking paler than before. "Shiro? Shiro?! What's wrong with him?! Shiro, wake up!" Lance felt his heart crack at the sight. Keith gripped Shiro's arm tightly, tears creeping out of the corners of his eyes. "Lance, what's wrong with him?!"

"Keith..." Lance stepped towards him, setting a hand on his shoulder. He noticed the others appeared at the doorway but didn't acknowledge them. "Keith, he's in a coma..." Keith choked and covered his mouth, unable to pull his eyes away from Shiro's sleeping face. Allura walked in and kneeled down beside Keith, setting a hand on the side of his head to pull his head to her shoulder. Lance set his hand over Keith's on Shiro's arm, thumb rubbing the skin gently. Coran walked closer and poked Lance, beckoning him towards the hall. 

"Lance, when should we tell him?" Hunk asked once Lance stepped out, keeping his voice low. "Would it be better now or after he calms down?"

Lance frowned. "We're not telling him.." They all gave him surprised looks. "Keith.. has been through enough. He doesn't need to know what he did to me and Shiro. How do you think he'll react?" 

"Lance..." Hunk deflated. Pidge sighed, nodding in agreement but staying quiet. Lance looked back into the room at Keith, eyes saddening at the sight. 

"Tell Allura and Matt not to say anything.. I just don't want him to know.."


	7. Chapter 7

The entire castle seemed dull at this point. Nobody was the same. When Lance thought everything would get better, it just got worse. Keith kept shifting back and forth from his human form to his Galra form without even realizing it. It first happened two days after he found out about Shiro. Lance was walking by his room when he heard scratching from inside. When he opened the door, Keith was back in his Galra form, claws tearing at the walls. Lance was quick to lock the door and find Coran. 

Since then, Lance was bothered over and over again with questions about telling Keith the truth. They were unable to predict when Keith would shift, but Keith never harmed Lance. He has yet to be near the others long enough to harm them like he did Shiro. Hunk was more worried about whether or not Keith harmed himself or Lance. Pidge wanted nothing to do with Keith once he was in his Galra form. Allura was the same while Coran was determined to find a cure. Matt kept giving Lance advice on how to take care of Keith, but Lance barely ever listened unless he really needed advice. 

When Keith was back to normal, he would become confused and ask Lance why everyone was acting weird around him. Lance would shrug it off, give him an excuse, then change the subject. Keith never really pressed on. A month after Keith woke up, Lance was finally close to his old self. He had to be if he didn't want Keith to know. The others weren't much help though.. 

"How's Red doing?" Keith asked one night at dinner, lifting his head from staring at his plate of food. Everyone gave him a questioning look. Keith blinked, glancing at Lance. "Lance told me last night that the lions have broken down a few days ago and you guys didn't want to.. say anything..." 

Lance cleared his throat, looking away from everyone else. "Yeah, Red is fine. Don't worry." Keith nodded, looking away at his plate again. Pidge glared at Lance, angrily chewing on her food goo. Lance glared back before going back to his food. 

After dinner, Keith left the room when Allura said she wanted everyone to have a bonding time. Lance tried to stop him, but Keith said he didn't feel well. Once he was gone, Allura immediately changed her mood and turned her narrowed eyes to Lance. "Lance, we need to talk about Keith."

Lance frowned and glared at her. "What about?"

"What do you think?" Pidge snapped, standing up. "This is getting out of control, Lance! He needs to know!"

"He'll start to doubt himself and won't go near any of us!" Lance shouted, standing up to tower over the girl. "He may even harm himself because of what he's become!"

"Then what are we going to do when Zarkon comes after us again?!" Allura stood up, fists clenched. "He won't be able to pilot Red if he's in that Galra form!" 

"We'll figure it out!" 

"No, that's it!" Allura took a deep breath and glared at Lance. "He can't stay here. He's too dangerous." 

"I agree," Pidge nodded, crossing her arms. "What happens if Keith finds one of us? We'll either be like Shiro or worse!"

Lance gritted his teeth, taking a step back. "You guys are turning your back on Keith because of this..? What about everything we've been through?! What about Red?!"

Pidge looked down for a moment, eyes hard. "Me and Matt have been spending time with Red for awhile." Lance froze. "She seems to like him enough to let him in-"

"You're replacing Keith?!" Lance practically screamed, eyes blown wide. Hunk looked shocked while Coran looked completely confused with Pidge's news. 

Allura, however, looked impressed. "That's not so bad. We do need someone for Red-" 

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lance couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were going to let Keith go just like that? _Just like that?!_ He is our friend!" 

"He's a monster!" Allura snapped. "He can't be trusted!" 

"Guys!" Everyone stopped and turned to see Matt standing in the doorway, panting hard with wide eyes. "Guys, I just locked Keith in the training deck.." Lance blinked in surprise and quickly darted past Matt, sprinting for the training deck. _Not now, not now!_

Lance was the first to get to the room above the deck. Everyone else followed moments after. Keith was back in his Galra form, squirming around and biting at the weapon in his hands. Pidge huffed and pointed down at him. "See?! He's too dangerous! He has to go!" 

"Now, hold on-" Coran begun, but Allura whipped around to face him with a deadly look. 

"Coran, be quiet. Unless you finally have a quiznakking cure, zip it!" Lance and Hunk's jaws almost dropped. Coran deflated and looked away, mumbling a "Yes, princess" quietly. Allura turned to Lance. "Either Keith goes, or I'm going to kill him." 

"Kill?!" Lance squeaked, feeling his blood boil. 

"It's your choice," she hissed. "It's not like he can be tamed or anything. He's _Galra_." 

Lance hissed through his teeth. "You bitch.. Keith isn't like that! I won't let you kill him!" He looked over his shoulder at Keith before darting for the door. "He won't hurt me, so maybe he won't hurt you guys!"

Hunk snatched his arm quickly. "Lance, wait! He'll kill you!" Lance jerked his arm out of his grip and ran down the stairs for the doors to the training deck. He heard no one else follow him. 

Once he opened the doors, Keith stopped and tilted his head back against the ground to look at him. He growled lowly and chucked the weapon away, rolling onto his hands and feet. Lance closed the doors behind him, ignoring the com overhead allowing him to hear Hunk's voice. Lance tried to keep his breathing even, not losing eye contact with Keith as he moved to sit on his knees. Keith flattened his ears, growling lowly at Lance as a warning. Hunk's voice popped up overhead again, but Lance didn't listen. Keith hissed and looked up towards the ceiling, eyes narrowed to slits. Lance swallowed his spit and whistled at Keith. Keith snapped his head towards him again, ears lifting up a bit. 

Without a warning, Keith launched forward and tackled Lance onto his back, knocking the air out of him. Lance could hear everyone gasp through the coms. Keith sniffed Lance's hair curiously, ears perked halfway up his head. Lance stayed still, lifting his head just a bit. Keith, for once, didn't react. His ears twitched, blinking and turning his head towards the room above the deck. He growled and curled up on top of Lance, never taking his eyes off of the group. 

They stayed like that for a minute or two before Lance brought his hand up towards Keith's head. When he finger barely grazed Keith's ear, Keith snapped his head back around and snapped his teeth at his hand. Lance jerked it back quickly, his heart hammering hard. Keith shook his head and narrowed his eyes at his hand, ears twitching from going up to going down and back. Lance slowly brought his hand forward again, stopping every time Keith growled softly and bared his teeth. Finally, Lance set his hand on the top of Keith's head, fingers caressing through his hair. Keith blinked and relaxed under his touch, ears moving to flatten down the sides of his head. Lance almost melted at how cute he looked. 

Keith purred quietly, eyes slipping shut and body laying down on top of Lance's again. Lance looked up at the room above, seeing the others all wide eyed and jaws slacked open. When Lance saw Allura glaring at the scene, he managed to flip her off before Keith wanted more attention. 

It was another half hour before Keith's body began to shift back to normal. Lance glanced up at the room to see everybody was finally gone. He sat up slowly and pulled Keith closer, cradling his head gently. Once the ears disappeared, Keith's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at Lance, eyes still pure yellow. "Lance..?" Lance smiled, watching the last of the purple fade away as his eyes glowed and began to fade. "What happened..?" 

"Guess you dozed off in here," Lance said softly, cupping Keith's cheek gently. "You did say you weren't feeling good.." Keith blinked, his eyes finally fading back to purple. He nodded, yawning into his wrist. Lance kissed his forehead, lips lingering. "Let's get to your room. You should get some sleep, yeah?" Keith nodded again, not protesting when Lance picked him up and carried him out of the training deck. 

"Lance.." Keith spoke quietly, fiddling with Lance's jacket. Lance hummed, moving him into one arm so he could type the code into Keith's padlock. "Does everyone hate me or something..?" 

"Why?" Lance asked, walking into the dark room towards Keith's bed. 

"I heard you guys yelling and I heard my name," Keith answered, looking up once Lance laid him down. Lance paused, sighing and pulling the blanket over him. 

"They don't hate you," he said. "Right now, Allura.. she's scared about the Galra coming and she doesn't think you're ready to fight yet." 

"Because I keep passing out, right?" Keith rolled onto his side, eyes glowing a bit. Lance nodded, brushing his bangs back. Keith sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry... I wish I knew what was wrong with me.." 

"I know, amor," Lance whispered, kissing his temple. "Coran is trying, but you'll get better." Keith nodded. He tilted his head and pecked Lance's lips, smiling in a silent thanks. Lance smiled back and stood up, heading for the door. Once the doors whooshed shut, Lance turned and saw Hunk walking towards him. "Oh, Hunk, what's up?"

"We need to talk," he kept his voice low, grabbing Lance's arm to drag him a few feet away. Lance raised an eyebrow, watching Hunk hesitate. "Lance... I have to agree with Allura and Pidge here." 

Lance froze. "What..?" 

"Lance, Keith is too dangerous for us," Hunk continued, looking guilty for even saying anything. "He may have warmed up to you, but don't forget what he did to Shiro - to you, even."

Lance shook his head in disbelief, backing up. "Hunk.. I thought you'd be on my side here... This is my boyfriend.."

"I know," he bowed his head, "but.. he's not the same anymore..." Lance felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. Hunk rubbed the back of his neck, reaching out for Lance. "Buddy-"

"No.." Lance whispered, backing away from him. "No, stay away from me..." Hunk widened his eyes, brown orbs becoming glossy. Lance sniffed, looking away from his best friend. "I.. I need to be with Keith for a bit..." He turned and opened Keith's door again, steeping in without looking back.


	8. Chapter 8

"Lance? What are you..?"

Lance leaned his forehead against the door. "Um... Sorry..." He heard Keith shuffle through the blankets, soft footsteps following. Lance seemed to relax when Keith's arms slipped around his waist. "Sorry, Hunk just... Ugh.." 

Keith pressed his cheek to his shoulder blade. "It's okay, Lance.. You don't have to tell me what happened." 

The two stood like that for awhile. Lance had his eyes closed, trying to keep his tears down. Keith squeezed his waist light - as if to tell him he was here for him - and nuzzled his back. Lance sighed and set a hand over Keith's linked hands, smiling when Keith moved one of his hands to lay on top of his. "Thank you, Keith.." Keith hummed, turning Lance around to give him a small smile. Lance pressed his forehead to his, putting a wider smile on his own lips. "What do you think about having a day to ourselves tomorrow? Just you and me." 

Keith blinked in slight surprise, smiling even wider without meaning to. "Really? Just you and me?" 

"Mmhmm," Lance nuzzled his nose against Keith's. "We can do whatever you want, okay?" Keith nodded, wrapping his arms around Lance's neck to hug him. Lance chuckled at Keith's excitement, hugging him back. "I love you, Keith.." 

Keith nuzzled his neck, eyes fluttering shut. "I love you too, Lance.." 

 

_Scratch... Scratch... Scratch..._

That was the first thing Lance heard, his eyes fluttering open just slightly before snapping wide open. He slowly turned his head, breath hitching when he saw Keith - back in his Galra form - scratching at his wall. He sniffed curiously at Lance's recently washed night clothes, crawling around like a cat around the shelf holding them. Lance took a deep breath and sat up, freezing when Keith's ears snapped up. His head snapped around to look at him, eyes a bit wide and head tilted. 

As Lance debated what to do next, Keith's ears flattened and he launched forward, slamming Lance down against the wall. His head exploded with pain, vision going black for only a few seconds. When he could see again, he first saw Keith hovering over him, eyes narrowed to tight slits. Lance began to shake when he realized Keith pinned his hands down. "Keith... Keith, hold on.." Keith's head cocked to the side, eyes not wavering. Lance flexed his fingers, resisting the urge to sigh in relief when Keith loosened his hold. "Let me up, Keith..." Lance whispered, trying to get somewhere. 

Keith's nose scrunched up a bit, but he let go of Lance. However, he leaned down and nuzzled Lance's neck right under his ear. Lance propped himself up with his elbows, straining to keep his breathing even. Keith breathed in his scent, ears flicking and eyes slipping shut. When Lance's heart began to calm down, it jumped back to life when he felt Keith's tongue run under his jaw. "H-Hey!" Keith growled, pushing Lance back onto his back. Lance squeaked, thrashing under Keith when he continued to lick the side of his neck. "Keith, stop!" His hands got pinned down again and Keith straddled him more firmly, teeth grazing his skin. 

Lance cried out in pain when his teeth sunk into his flesh. Keith didn't thrash his head or anything. He did draw blood, however, which caused more pain for Lance. He finally pulled back when tears stared to seep out of Lance's eyes, blood coating his lips. Lance gasped and struggled more, trying to shield his neck from Keith. Growling, Keith dug his claws into his wrists. Lance whimpered, more tears falling down his face. "Keith, please stop! It hurts!" 

His eyes flashed and his snarl disappeared from his lips. His ears went high up on his head, grip loosening. Lance stared up at him, feeling blood slowly seep out of the bite. Keith lifted his hands off of his wrists, shaking. Lance frowned, trying to ignore the stinging pain. He didn't expect Keith to actually stop... "L-Lance..?" Keith's voice came out soft, full of fear. Lance's eyes widened, watching his skin start to become normal again at his neck. Keith looked at Lance then at his hands, fingers curled just slightly to show his claws. 

Then he screamed. He immediately moved away from Lance, falling off of the bed. The purple began to fade off of his arms, trailing down towards his wrists as his jaw did the same. "What the hell is this?!" Lance quickly sat up and fell to his knees in front of him, reaching for him. Keith jerked back, the claws fading away a the purple disappeared. His face shifted back to their normal color while his ears disappeared to regular human ears. His eyes glowed brightly before fading to purple. Lance widened his eyes, seeing how small Keith's pupils were. He looked at his neck and wrists, scooting away. "D-Did I do that...?" 

"Keith-" 

" _Did I do that?!_ " Lance bit his lip, going quiet. Keith choked and covered his mouth. "That's why.. they hate me...? Why I can't remember anything..? Is it?!" 

Lance set a hand over the bite. "Keith.. I-I'm sorry..." 

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Keith cried, his own tears slipping out of his eyes. 

"I-I don't know!" Lance reached for him, but Keith recoiled. "Keith, please-" 

"I hurt you..." Keith's eyes widened, going pale. "Did I do that to Shiro? _Did I?_ " Lance hesitated before nodding. Keith covered his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. Lance watched quietly, not knowing what to do. Keith wouldn't let him touch him... Keith opened his eyes slowly, breath hitching. He looked around the room before at Lance. "Lance.." he moved onto his hands and knees, crawling closer to Lance. Lance cupped his face, wiping his tears away. Keith's bottom lip quivered, tilting his head up to kiss Lance. 

Even though Lance was a bit confused with the sudden kiss, he kissed him back slowly, eyes fluttering shut. Keith pulled back and hugged Lance, shoulders shaking. Lance went to hug him back, but he instead squeaked when Keith grabbed his jacket sleeves and pulled at them, tying them together quickly before grabbing the front of Lance's jacket to zip it up at least half-way. Lance struggled, finding himself stuck. "Keith, what are you doing?!"

"I'm too dangerous, Lance," Keith said with a shaky voice, standing up to pull something out from under his pillow. "I.. I have to save you and the others.." 

"Keith, what are you doing?" Lance widened his eyes, spotting Keith's dagger in his hand. "Keith.. no, please don't do this! Put it down!" 

"I'm sorry.." Keith stepped away from Lance, tears gliding down his cheeks. He pointed the blade at his chest over his heart, looking back at Lance. "I love you..." 

"Keith! Stop!" Lance screamed, crying and struggling with his jacket. Keith didn't listen. He closed his eyes and stabbed himself, lips parting to let out a choking sound. Lance screamed, watching Keith fall to his knees. Blood seeped past the blade, his hands falling from the handle. "No! Keith!" A ghost of a smile hit Keith's face, his body falling onto his side limply. Blood dripped onto the ground, slowly growing into a puddle. Lance cried, unable to tear his eyes away. "Keith, get up! Don't die on me! Keith, please! _Please!_ "

But it was already too late.


	9. Chapter 9

Everything has changed. 

Lance has broken down completely. He can't bring himself to be happy. He sat in that room for almost half an hour, crying and screaming, before Coran was able to unlock the door. Pidge tried to get Keith in a crypod, but it was too late. He was gone. 

Hunk stayed with Lance for days, coaxing him to sleep and comforting him when he'd wake up screaming for Keith. Allura was able to take the castle to the Balmera where Shay and her people created a ceremony for Keith. Lance was unable to stay when they began to bury Keith. He wanted someone, but he wanted to be alone. However, Blue sensed his distress and found him. Soon after, Red showed up and connected with Lance to comfort him as well. 

Then Matt came over. Red shifted her attention to the brother and decided on her new paladin. Lance couldn't even listen to Matt trying to explain it to everyone else when they came over. He went into Blue's cockpit and flew her back to the castle. Blue tried to tell Lance he was there for him, but Lance didn't care at the time. He wanted to be alone. 

However, when he was heading for his room to try and sleep off his grief, he found Shiro sitting up in his bed. Lance ran in, unable to believe Shiro finally woke up. When he contacted the others, they were quick to come back to the castle to help Shiro. He seemed completely fine. When he asked where Keith was, Lance broke down in tears again and screamed he was dead. Shiro couldn't believe the news. Allura told him everything; from the point they were taken to the point where Keith stabbed himself. Shiro had swallowed down his pain and comforted Lance instead. 

Lance and Shiro were the only ones who didn't even try to shift back to their old selves. Pidge and Allura seemed like they couldn't care less while Hunk and Coran tried to stay the same. Lance could still see the grief in their eyes though. Shiro became a little happier because Matt was back, but he didn't talk much. I mean, who would? 

Lance turned over onto his side, looking up to see Hunk leaned back in his chair asleep. His blue eyes flicked to his hands, his body jumping when he saw blood on them. When Lance sat up, the blood was gone. He exhaled shakily, hands tangling into his hair. Keith's words floated into his head again, almost mocking him for being unable to see the pain in his words. 

_"Did I do that?!"_

_"Why didn't you tell me?!"_

_"Did I do that to Shiro?_

_"Did I?"_

Lance squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his breathing. He shook his head, trying to get Keith's voice out of his head. 

_"I'm too dangerous.."_

_"I have to save you and the others.."_

_"I'm sorry."_

Lance threw his blanket aside, standing up and running out of his room. He panted as he ran down the hall, wanting desperately to get away from the voices. His eyes widened when he saw Keith up ahead with a knife in his hand. When he turned to look at him, he disappeared. 

_"I'm too dangerous.."_

Lance felt tears roll down his cheeks. He slammed his fist against the control lock to Keith's room, the door zipping open. He froze when he saw Keith's body on the ground, only for it to disappear when he blinked. 

_"I have to save you and the others.."_

"No you don't," Lance whimpered, falling to his knees. He covered his mouth, spotting Keith's jacket on the bed with his dagger. He choked and sobbed, shoulders shaking. "Keith..." 

_"I'm sorry."_

"Then why did you do it?!" Lance slammed his fists to the ground, tears landing one by one next to them. Lance opened his mouth, voice cracking. "Why...?"

_"Escape while you can, Blue Paladin."_

Lance's eyes widened, looking up to see Haggar smirking at him. 

_"Cause once he wakes up-"_

"No," Lance breathed, body shaking. 

_"-his Galra side will take over.."_

"No!" Lance grabbed his head, unable to tear his eyes away from her. 

_"And he will kill you."_

Lance screamed when he saw Keith in his Galra form step out from behind her, teeth bared into a snarl. When he lunged for Lance, the door zipped open and everything disappeared. "Lance!" Shiro slid to his knees next to him, pulling him to his chest. Lance sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Shiro held him firmly, his right hand cupping the back of his head. "Shh, Lance, it's okay.. I miss him too.." 

"W-Why..?" Lance whimpered, face soaked with tears. "Why would he...?" 

Shiro didn't say anything. 

 

Shiro had taken Lance back to his room, careful not to wake Hunk. When Lance had fallen asleep again, he left. But Lance woke up again not long after. He stared at the ceiling, mind completely blank. He couldn't feel.. anything.. 

He found himself in Keith's room again. His hand clutched the dagger Keith kept on himself for years. The dagger that killed him. Lance's lip quivered, his hand beginning to shake. His mind screamed two things at him. 

_Put it down!_

_End it already!_

Lance dropped the blade. "Fuck.." he breathed, holding his head. He swallowed down his nerves and looked up. _Space.._ He picked up the dagger again, leaving the room quickly. No one was around. He ran for the airlock, heart hammering hard. His brain screamed at him to stop. But he couldn't. 

Lance stepped into the airlock, the door closing behind him. He went to the controls and begun the countdown, tears filling his eyes again. He could hear Keith's voice again. This time.. 

_"Lance..."_

He turned, spotting Keith standing near the door to space. He smiled lightly, holding a hand out. 

_"I'm here.."_

Lance hiccuped, covering his mouth. Keith didn't move. He stood there, smiling with his hand reaching for Lance. The voice got to ten as Lance started moving towards Keith. "Keith.. I'm so sorry.." 

_"I'm not mad.."_

Keith smiled, eyes sparkling. Lance sniffed, smiling back weakly. He looked past Keith at the doors, hearing the voice over get to three. "Thank you..." 

The doors opened.


	10. Chapter 10

Lance felt weightless. He felt like he was floating. His eyes were shut, lips parted just slightly. His chest moved slowly with each breath he took. He wanted to move. He wanted to at least know he could. 

_"It'll be okay, Lance... Just hold on.."_

Lance wanted to open his eyes. Was that Keith? Is he here to help him into the afterlife? Lance wished he could do something; to wake up in the afterlife and hold Keith again. They'd be happy again. Nothing could rip them apart again. 

_"Come on, wake up.."_

_I'm trying.._ Lance thought, his head still a bit foggy. He felt his heartbeat begin to pick up. His fingers twitched. Then he was falling. 

_"Woah- Lance? Hey, I got you."_

Lance groaned, eyes fluttering open. He was slumped over with his head pressed against a firm chest. Tilting his head up, he saw Keith. Tears filled his eyes, a choked laugh escaping him. "Keith.." 

Keith blinked in worry, lifting him up into a better position. "Lance, what's wrong?" His hands - which were freezing - cupped his face, thumbs trailing along his cheeks. Lance leaned into them, looking around. 

"Keith.. where are we..?" 

Keith frowned, tilting his head. "In the castle with the crypods. Where else..?" Lance choked, eyes widening. Keith panicked, tilting his head down a bit so their eyes connected. "Lance, what's wrong?" 

"Y-You died!" Lance cried out, sinking to his knees. "I-I d-died!" Keith blinked in shock, kneeling down in front of him. Lance set his hands over Keith's, shaking. "H-Haggar poisoned you! You tried to kill Shiro! Allura and Pidge turned on you! You-" 

"Lance, hold on," Keith stopped him, frowning with furrowed eyebrows. "Lance, listen. When Haggar lead us into that trap, she hit your head really hard. But Pidge ran in and got me out of her grip. She disappeared when Shiro showed up with Hunk." Lance stared at him in shock. Keith wiped his tears away, gaze softening. "I couldn't wake you up, and Coran had to put you in a crypod. You were in there for almost a week."

"We weren't captured...?" Lance whispered. Keith shook his head. 

"No.. What exactly happened in your.. nightmare?" 

Lance felt everything lift off of his shoulders. None of it happened... _None of it actually happened!_ "Haggar posioned you.." Lance began, leaning into Keith's hands more. He paused, looking at Keith. He swallowed down his nerves, closing his eyes. "Actually, can we talk about this later..?" 

Keith smiled. "Of course, Lance." He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Why don't we go and change you into your clothes so you can rest?" 

"No, I want to see the others first," Lance squeezed Keith's hands. Keith blinked but nodded, helping him to his feet again. The two made their way to Lance's room where he got dressed with Keith's help since his movements were a bit wobbly. Afterwards, they headed for the training deck. Keith had missed out since he didn't want to leave Lance's side. As soon as the doors zipped open, Lance ran in and tackled Hunk into a hug. Hunk, who was in the middle of sparring, squeaked and lost balance. Lance squeezed him tightly, holding back a sob. "Hunk, I missed you!" 

"Woah, you okay there?" Hunk asked, laughing a bit. He hugged him back anyway. Shiro and Pidge grinned and ran over. 

"Hey, look who's awake," Pidge leaned down, patting his head. Shiro kneeled down and patted his back. 

"Welcome back, bud." 

Allura and Coran walked over, smiling. Lance sniffed, looking around at all of them with teary eyes. "I'm glad to be back.." 

 

"Keith..?" Lance turned onto his side, looking over at Keith. The mullet-head was reading earlier, but he seemed to have fallen asleep during it. Lance smiled softly, sitting up and taking his book from him. "So cute.." he whispered, brushing Keith's bangs aside. He looked.. innocent. 

Images of Galra Keith flashed in his head. Shivering, Lance drew his hand back, closing the book and setting it on the ground. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes flicking back to Keith's sleeping face. "Come on.. it was a nightmare..." Lance told himself, moving back to his spot on the bed. Keith shifted and mumbled something in his sleep, rolling onto his side. Lance settled down in front of him, lips twitching up. This was how it was supposed to be.. 

Tears pricked the corners of Lance's eyes. He reached forward shakily, knuckles caressing Keith's soft cheek. He scooted closer, arms wrapping around Keith till the smaller teen was pressed against his body. Lance buried his nose into his hair, struggling to hold down his tears. Keith snuggled closer to him, breathing softly. Lance choked and started shaking, tears slipping down his face. "Keith is okay, Lance... H-He's okay.." 

Keith's eyes fluttered a bit before opening, his ears just barely catching Lance's words. He frowned, tilting his head up. "Lance?" The blue paladin froze, his grip tightening on Keith. He let go after a moment, allowing Keith to pull back and prop himself up on his elbow. Keith frowned worriedly, his hand moving to cup Lance's cheek. "Lance, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" 

Lance hiccuped, scooting closer to bury his face in Keith's chest. His shoulders shook, sobs racking through him. Keith shifted their positions, sitting up with Lance in his lap. He brushed his fingers through Lance's hair, rocking him side to side slowly. He had a sneaking feeling this had something to do with that nightmare Lance had.. He wanted to know what happened, but Lance hasn't told him anything other than Haggar poisoning him.

"I-I'm sorry," Lance forced out, hugging Keith's torso. "I-I-I should've t-told you.." 

Keith pressed his cheek to his head, still rocking him. "Tell me what, Lance..?"

"You were a G-Galra because of Haggar," Lance sniffed, squeezing his eyes shut. "You were crazy.. You kept hurting me and ripping my armor off.." Keith blinked in surprise, his hand running through his hair slowing to a stop. Lance didn't loosen his grip on him. "T-Then you attacked S-Shiro and put him in a c-come.. You only let me near you... Allura and Pidge wanted to get rid of you-"

"Lance, hold on," Keith swallowed thickly, cupping the back of Lance's head. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Are you.. scared of me..?" 

Lance wanted to shake his head, but he didn't. "I don't know..." Keith nodded slightly, rubbing Lance's back. Lance pulled back, wiping his eyes quickly. "I'm so sorry... Y-You ended up finding out and k-killed yourself.." Keith's eyes went wide at that. Lance took a deep breath. "I-I ended up killing myself because of it.. but then I woke up.." Keith's eyebrows furrowed in concern. Lance's bottom lip quivered. "It felt so real.." 

"Lance..." Keith trailed off, cupping his face. Lance leaned into his hands, humming at how warm they were. Keith's thumbs stroked the skin under his eyes, forcing a soft smile onto his face. "I'm sorry you went through that.. I'm so sorry... If you don't want me around, just tell me. I'll understand." 

Lance shook his head, reaching forward and hugging Keith. He pressed his forehead to his shoulder, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "No.. I just got you back..." 

Feeling tears fill his own eyes, Keith hugged him back. The two sat there in silence, holding onto one another as if they'd never get to again. Lance finally calmed down, nuzzling Keith's neck. "I love you, Keith... Please don't let me go..." 

Keith smiled, giving Lance a light squeeze. "I love you too, Lance.. I'll always be here for you..." Lance lifted his head, stealing a quick kiss from Keith. He chuckled, taking in the sparkle in Lance's eyes. "Glad you're feeling better."

"You always make me feel better," Lance tucked a strand of hair behind Keith's ear. He kissed the corner of Keith's eye, peppering light kisses all over his face. Keith laughed softly, squirming in his hold. Lance stopped at Keith's lips, kissing him a bit longer than a second ago. Keith cupped his cheeks, kissing him back gently. Lance grinned, moving off of his lap. "Think you can help me get to sleep?"

"It's my job," Keith smiled, laying down on his back. He patted his chest, watching Lance settle down with his head on his chest. He snuggled closer, legs tangling with Keith's. "Comfy?" 

"Mmhmm," Lance hummed, eyes slipping shut. Keith reached down, pulling the blanket over the two. Lance relaxed when Keith wrapped his arms around him, his mind slipping away from the memories of his nightmare. "Thank you, Keith.." 

Keith's eyes fluttered shut, fingers combing through Lance's hair. "I'll always be here, Lance.." 

Lance sighed in content. _Thank you.._


End file.
